Muscular chest is a visiting card of an athlete. Perfectly developed muscle mass, a wide chest and a beautiful relief can be achieved with a bench press. Regularly performing different versions of this athletic exercise with a barbell or dumbbells will help you increase muscle volume, develop strength indicators and endurance. Many athletes have achieved good physical results through such training.
If you are just starting to work on the muscles of the chest, then you need to create a set of exercises that will quickly increase muscle mass of the upper body. And if you have already reached a plateau period in your sports, then you are faced with the question of how to increase the bench press. The training program in such cases requires correction, which will provide the maximum increase in muscle volume and strength indicators. We’ll talk about how to increase the effectiveness of sports activities in order to achieve excellent results.
How to create a training program for chest muscles
Self-preparation of a training program for the development of muscles of the upper body requires a special approach. She must necessarily take into account your individual characteristics of the physique. A set of workouts that will be ideal for you will give excellent results in the growth of physical strength and endurance. As a result of classes, you will not only build muscle mass, but also achieve a beautiful muscle relief.
Before making a set of exercises for the pectoral muscles, you need to determine the main goal of training: increasing the volume of the chest, strength and endurance, a clear relief. An excellent increase in body weight gives a bench press lying. The training program in this case is made up of various versions of this exercise with weights aimed at increasing the volume of the chest and stimulating the respiratory system.
Such a complex can be supplemented with the help of power elements for drawing and working out the relief. Experienced athletes use the tilt barbell pull to achieve these goals, lifting dumbbells from behind their heads, bending their arms on Scott's bench and bench press. The Sheiko training program, for example, includes a diverse arsenal of strength elements that proportionally develop the muscles of the upper body, involving not only the pectoral, but also the remaining muscle groups.
The technique of performing a bench press
The basic exercise in strength sports such as bodybuilding and powerlifting is the bench press. It is intended for the development of the pectoral muscles (large, small, front dentate), arms (biceps, triceps) and the anterior bundle of deltoid muscles. The bench press has several options: classic, in touch, lying in the power frame, on an inclined bench. Each exercise differs in technical performance and is aimed at achieving a certain physical result. The program for increasing the bench press should include various types of this element, depending on the goals set by the athlete. Let's consider in more detail each type of equipment.
Bench Press: Classic
A classic bench press with a barbell is performed on a horizontal bench. The implementation of the element in this technique perfectly loads not only the pectoral muscles and hands, but also the muscles of the back, buttocks and hips. The classic version of the exercise plus the additional load with dumbbells is an excellent workout program for a beginner.
The bench press is performed in the following technique:
- Starting position - we lay down on the bench, buttocks, back and head firmly pressed to the surface, legs bent at the knees, feet on the floor. The barbell is located at chest level. We remove the shell from the rack, holding our hands in front of us.
- Exhale - lower the bar to the lower chest.
- Inhale - raise the projectile up, straightening your arms.
During the exercise, the projectile must necessarily lower to the chest, then there is a slight delay and only after that the lift of the bar. The optimal grip width is considered to be a distance of 81 cm, which is indicated by special notches on most vultures. With this position of the hands, physical activity during the exercise is evenly distributed between the triceps and the anterior bundle of deltoid muscles.
Bench press in touch
The main difference between this technique of performing the bench press from the classic version is that during the exercise, the bar goes up without touching the chest after touching it. Physical activity is aimed at the same parts of the body (chest, arms, back, buttocks and hips), but due to an increase in pace and intensity, the strength indicators and endurance of the athlete increase.
The bench press program for beginners must necessarily include this exercise as an addition to the classic version. This element is not included in competitive exercises, but is widely used during regular strength training for both beginners and professional athletes.
Bench press in a power frame
Power frame - a great sports equipment that will allow you to several times increase the effectiveness of bench press training. Thanks to him, you can easily overcome the plateau period in the set of muscle mass and increase strength indicators by working with heavier weights without outside help. Use the power frame to improve the technique of performing the classic version of the exercise, work out the dead spots and the amplitude of your movements.
Training program (bench press):
- Set the bench in the power frame, fix the neck with the help of stoppers at a distance of 5 cm above your chest. The weight of the bar should match your maximum for 10 repetitions. Before performing, be sure to warm up your muscles to avoid injuring your muscles and ligaments.
- Lie on a bench and squeeze the bar from the lower position the maximum number of times.
- Lift the bar clamps on the power frame one hole up and again lift the bar until the muscles completely fail.
- Repeat this step as far as possible.
This bench press program provides excellent physical activity for the pectoral muscles, muscles of the arms and back. Beginners are encouraged to use this exercise option to practice the technique and increase strength indicators. For advanced athletes, it will help to overcome the plateau in training, increasing the effectiveness of classes. Such an intense load is recommended to be applied in dosage to avoid overtraining and possible injuries of muscle mass.
Bench Press: Incline Bench
The bench press on an inclined bench can be performed in the position of the head above or below. Thanks to this, you can load the upper or lower part of the pectoral muscles. If the head is located above the level of the pelvis, then the load falls on the upper chest, triceps and deltoid muscles. Tilting the body down includes the lower parts of the pectoralis major muscle.
Technique of execution:
- set the back of the bench at an angle of 30-40 degrees;
- we sit down, tightly pressing our backs to the surface, we rest our feet on the floor;
- take the bar - the grip width is determined by the position of the bar at the bottom point: the palm should be strictly above the elbow, the forearm should be perpendicular to the floor;
- the touch point of the bar neck - the upper (just below the clavicle) or lower chest, depending on the inclination of the bench;
- inhale - lower the shell down;
- exhale - lift up.
The training program (bench press on a bench with a slope) may include several exercise options. You can use different types of grip (forward, reverse) to engage the maximum amount of muscle. It is recommended to supplement the bench press with a barbell on an inclined bench with various strength exercises with dumbbells, which will help you to form a beautiful muscle relief.
Booster
The booster technique is used to increase the strength indicators of athletes in power sports and as a way to combat adaptation to training, which are accompanied by a lack of progress. It is performed using the classical bench press technique, but the bar does not go down to the chest. There are different options for booster, for example, the bar can fall by 10-20 cm or even lower. Weights are selected depending on the main goal of the workout. To increase the strength of the athlete, the exercise is performed with a large weight, but a small amplitude of the booster for 2-4 repetitions.
Negative bench press
The negative technique of doing the bench press is one of the most difficult strength exercises. This training option has a stimulating effect on the nervous system and leads to pronounced muscle microtrauma through the use of excessive weights. Negative bench press allows you to increase strength and contributes to a set of muscle mass.
Technique of execution:
- the starting position is the same as in the classic bench press;
- weight - 100-150% of the maximum, which can lift the athlete in one rep;
- the bar is removed from the racks with the help of a partner and then at a slow pace it lowers to the chest;
- from a lower point up the projectile raises the partner;
- then again there is a slow lowering of the barbell to the chest.
The training program (bench press in a negative technique) allows you to intensively load the muscles, ligaments and joints over the entire range of motion. It is not recommended to perform this exercise more than 2-3 times during one training session and more often than 1 time in 10 days. An increase in the number of approaches and the frequency of classes leads to overtraining and muscle injuries.
Bench Press Abort
If you train with large weights without the help of a partner, then you must definitely follow safety precautions to avoid traumatic situations. You can crash the exercise as follows:
- before performing the bench press, remove the locks that fix the pancakes on the neck;
- if you don’t have enough strength to return the projectile to the rack, carefully lower the barbell to your chest;
- move your right hand closer to the pancakes on the neck and raise it up - the pancakes on the left side should slip to the floor;
- do the same operation with your left hand, firmly gripping the bar of the bar.
To avoid such situations in the absence of an assistant, it is recommended to perform a bench press in a power frame.
Bench press program on weight and strength
In order to build muscle mass of the upper body and increase strength, it is necessary to make the bench press a key element of training. We bring to your attention a program that gives a serious load on the pectoral muscles and provides an increase in weight for 3 months to 10 kg. To avoid overtraining and injuries, it is advisable to conduct such a training once a week, completely excluding isolated triceps exercises. The complex consists of exercises: push-ups and bench press.
Strength and Mass Program:
- The first week is a bench press from the floor in a power frame. The exercise is performed lying on the floor, the bar is fixed by the height of the forearms (elbows should lightly touch the floor). Each time, squeeze the bar up with maximum explosive force to load all the muscles and tendons involved in this strength element. A 100% weight is the weight you can lift 5 times in the technique described above. We carry out 5 approaches of 5 repetitions in the following order: warm-up (2 sets with a weight of 50% and 75%), 2 working approaches (weight 100%), 1 technical (weight 75%). Rest between work sets - at least 3-4 minutes.
- The second week - push-ups on bars with weight. The principle of loading is the same as in the bench press. Perform 5 approaches 5 times: 2 warm-ups, 2 workers, 1 technical. The exercise is performed from a standing position on a stand in the uneven bars: inhale - squeeze yourself and the weight up on straight arms, exhale - return to the support.
- Third week - bench press in a power frame. Fix the bar of the bar at the lower point (5 cm above the chest), perform the load in the same way as in the exercises above - 5 sets of 5 times. First, press the weight up, then lower it to the support.
For three weeks, you conduct three workouts consisting of one exercise. After that, increase your working weight by 2.5-5 kg and go through the cycle first. If you are unable to complete the required number of repetitions, then in the next lesson try to compensate for the load. After an average of three to four cycles, your bench weight should increase by 7.5-12.5 kg.
Conclusion
In the article we told in detail how to increase the bench press. The training program should be drawn up taking into account the goals that the athlete wants to achieve as a result of practicing power sports. To achieve excellent results in weight gain, increase strength and endurance, perform various bench press options in combination with other isolated exercises. Gradually increase the load during classes to avoid injuries and overtraining.